MICHAEL Pender finished on the podium in the five-star Longines FEI Jumping World Cup fixture at A Coruna in Spain over the weekend, when he rode HHS Orchidee (ISH) into third place in Saturday’s five-star 1.50m Grupo Eulen Trophy speed class.

Pender rode the nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare HHS Orchidee in a class of 42 starters, of whom 15 managed to keep the poles in the cups. Pender’s clear round in 61.09 was good enough for a podium place, behind French winner Julien Epaillard on Easy Up de Grandry, whose time of 59.86 could not be beaten, and Swedish runner-up Henrik von Eckermann on Glamour Girl (60.34).